When flushing a toilet, it is desirable to ensure that as much as possible of the inner surface of the toilet bowl is washed clean by the flushing water. It is also desirable to reduce the possibility for waste to remain hidden out of sight in the toilet bowl and that the toilet bowl should have an attractive appearance and be easy to clean.
For many years, the conventional toilet has had a rim channel which overhangs the toilet bowl and which discharges water downwards into the toilet bowl through an open-bottom chamber or holes in the bottom wall of the overhanging rim.
In an attempt to improve the flushing of the toilet bowl surface and to reduce the places where waste can hide out of sight, so-called “rimless” toilets have been proposed in recent years. An example is shown in WO2009/030904 (Ideal Standard), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Another example of a “rimless” toilet is shown in US2013/0219605 (AS IP Holdco, LLC), which shows an American version of a rimless toilet having a “sump jet” which discharges into the sump of the toilet bowl. The contents of US2013/0219605 are also incorporated herein by reference for aiding the technical understanding of the reader.
These prior art rimless toilets can still leave un-rinsed various portions of the inner toilet bowl surface that are not flushed in an effective manner by the water. In particular, the rear surface portion and the front top portion of the bowl may not be washed clean. Moreover, recent amendments to the EN standards (EN 997) allow for an unwashed circumferential strip running around the top edge of the bowl and having a depth of 85 mm below the upper rim surface of the “rimless” toilet.
A toilet bowl that is visually attractive, easy to clean and hygienic (without undercuts which are exposed to fecal matter) is also desirable, such as in the commercial market for toilets where a toilet may be used by members of the public. Examples of locations include hospitals, care homes, offices, schools and hotels.